Carry the damn fridge!

(or why I’m starting a customer service revolution)

From kitchen renovation to customer service revolution

After three weeks of living on toast and cereal, our kitchen renovation is almost complete.

(Yes, this post comes with a #firstworldproblems disclaimer.)

We’ve ripped out 25-year old pine cupboards, one mismatched door and scrunched up ball of ancient headlines at a time. We’ve frittered away unseasonably warm weekends in Ikea, agonising over the relative advantages of LED strips versus halogen spotlights. New oak worktops have been French-oiled to within an inch of their lives. I now know what French oil is.

Financial ruin and divorce seemed inevitable for a while, but as the final ceramic tiles slot into place this week, it looks like we’ve made it.

(Before)

(After) (almost)

I’ll be honest, it was harder than I expected. I’m in awe of my husband who did the ENTIRE THING HIMSELF.

But the worst part? It was the deliveries. Something that should be so automated and simple seems to have been complicated beyond imagination.

👎 Your delivery ‘appointment’ is a 10-hour window.

👎 Next day delivery turns into weeks.

👎 They send the wrong thing.

👎 They’re late.

👎 They turn up at 7am.

👎 They don’t arrive at all.

And when they do send the right thing at the right time, it seems like delivering large items increasingly stops at the kerb. Fridges, washing machines, flooring – none of them make it across the threshold.

‘But how do I carry those two 3m long pieces of wood that weigh 60kg each up to my first floor flat?’

‘Sorry, can’t help. You’ll have to carry them up yourself.’

I mean, I get it – health and safety and all that. But couldn’t they tell you beforehand that you’ll need to have a strong pal on hand to help?

Most of the time we can manage (deadlifts for the win), but what would Granny do?

Instead of being excited about seeing the new kitchen take shape, the shopping experience is clouded in resentment, disappointment and lower back pain.

Here’s the awkward segue into a helpful marketing lesson

So think about the service you provide your own customers.

When people visit your website, or buy something from you, or work with you – how do they feel afterwards?

Are they surprised and delighted by service that went beyond what was expected?

Or are they disappointed because the service didn’t include everything they hoped for?

Do they feel anything at all?

Go the extra mile – carry the damn fridge up the stairs.

What does good customer service look like to you? Had any ridiculously good or bad experiences? Drop your stories in the comments!